Method of cleaning electrotype plates



Patented/Mar. 1l, 1930 WILLIAM RENDELL LAKEMAN, OF

ROCHESTER, NEW YORK METHOD'OF CLEANING ELEOTROTYPE PLATES Original applicationY led Mai-c1123, 1922, Serial No. 546,202. 'y Divided and this application filed February 11, 1924. Serial No. y691,889.

The present invention relates to a method of cleaning electrotype plates, this application being a division of an application filed by me o n March 23, 1922, Serial No. 546,202. '5 An object of'lthis invention is to provide a method of cleaning electrotype plates which will produce a cleaner plate with the use of a minimum amount of kerosene required for cutting the Wax on t plate.

The invention con ists of thesteps hereinafter set forth and pointed out more particularly in the appended claims.

In the drawings there is illustrated a machine bywhich this process may be carried out, this machine being more fully illustrated in my application Serial No. 546,202, filed March 23, 1922, hereinbefore mentioned;

Fig. 1 of the drawings is a side view of the machine; and

Fig. 2 is a longitudinal section.

In the illustrated machine, there is employed a tank 1 lsupported in any suitable manner as by legs of standards 2, there being provided at one end of the tank a delivery table 3 on which electro-plates are delivered,

this table being supported through brackets 4 from the legs 2 at the delivery end of the tank. The tank contains water which` is heated in any suitable manner, as by steam pipes 5, through which the steam may be delivered by pipes 6 passing through the bottom of the tank and from which the steam is discharged in any suitable manner.l

Operating in the tank is a conveyor pref-v erably of endless construction, its uppermost lap operating in a plane slightly above the upper edge of the tank 1. In this instance, the conveyor comprises a number of transverse strips 8 secured to endless sprocket chains 9 which pass about sprocket wheels 10 arranged on two parallel shafts 11 mounted on the tank. The conveyor extends horizontally from one end of the `tank to the other and discharges the plates on theroller 17 journalled on the upper edge of the tank adjacent the delivery table 3.

The lates aren received in a very hot condition rom the casting'pan and are deposited on the receiving e'nd of the endless belt or conveyor. At this point, a spray of kerosene is delivered to the hot plate and permeates the wax which is in a soft hot condition. This/kerosene is preferably vcontained in container 18 which connects with a piping 20 arranged horizontally in spaced relation to the ,plane of the upper lap of the conveyor at the receiving end of the latter in advance thereof but over the tank 1, being supportedin position on the side walls of the tank. f This horizontal pipe is provided with perforations on its under side through which the kerosene Hows on the plate as indicated at 23, thus acting as a spraying device.

With the end in view of confining the heat within the tank and' within the hot yplate against rapid escape, a hood may be provided over the tank. In this instance, the hood embodies twoside Walls or plates 28 resting on the side walls of thetank 1 and a top wall 29 connected to the side plates 28, the ends of the hood being open. After the wax has been permeated by the kerosene, it is subjected to a primary scrubbing by abrading element which, in this instance, is in the form of a rotary brush 30, having its periphery moving in the same direction as the upper lap of the belt, but at a greater speed than said belt, so as to produce an abrading action longitudinally of the belt or conveyor.' lVith the end in View of producing a. scrubbing action transversely ofthel conveyor, a reciprocating abrading element 43 may be provided oper able transversely of the conveyor and .preferably movable on a guide member or carrier 44 which is held -With yielding pressure to'- Ward the conveyor.

Vhile the plate is being subjected to the transverse scrubbing action, hot water from the tank 1 containing also the kerosene that drips from the plates into the tank, is supplied to the plate adjacent the transversely operating brush. This is effected preferably through nozzles 52 and 53, 'each' connecting by pipes 54 and 55 with rotary pumps-I 56 and 57 respectively, said pumps connect-- ing, respectively, with pipings 58 and 59 with the tank. The temperature of the Water or cleaning liquid should be such as not to cool the plate materially, for example approximately 185 Fahr.

ets 83 above the rear end of the tank 1.

From the transversely operating scrubbing device, the plate is carried by the conveyor to a scrubbing device 60 in the form desirable, but it is not desired to limit the invention thereto.

' What I claim as my invention and desire of a rotary brush which has its periphery roto secure by Letters Patent is:

tating in the direction opposed to the direction of movement of the plate. After the plate leaves the transversely operating scrubbing element, the Wax has become removed or loosened so that the scrubbing element 60 displaces any loose portions on the plate and also acts to clear the plate of the liquid.

The brush 60 may have disposedon opposite sides thereot1 two fender plates 81 Which have their lower edges in spaced relation to the endless conveyor by connection to the opposite sides of the hood. The rearmost fender plate 81 lies close to the fender -plate 82 which is supported horizontally by bra'lle rearmost fender plate 81 with the fender plate 83 acts With the hood to confine the heat in'close proximity to the electrotype plate after the latter passes from the brush'GO, there being a residual heat in the electrotype plate which with the heat rising from the tank effectively dries the plate. The diii'erenti mechanisms are operative in any suitable manner as in the mannerdescribed inv my hereinbefore mentioned application for a patent.

In carrying out the process, the plate is taken immediately from the casting panA and While in a Ahot condition is presented to the endless conveyor and beneath the spray tube 20 which extends transversely of the length of the conveyor. As the plate passes beneath the spray tube the kerosene drips on the plate in an amount suilicient to cut the hot wax. The plate advances under the action of the conveyor .to the primary .scrubbing element which operates on the plate at a greater speed than the' travel of the conveyor and in the direction of the travel of the conveyor. The trasversely moving scrubbing means thereafter operates on the plate at the same time, the plate is supplied with hot Water which heats the Wax and carries o the particles removed from the plate by both scrubbing devices. After the plate leaves the transversely moving scrubbing device, it has all of the Wax loosened so that when the plate reaches the final scrubbing device 60, the latter Which has its periphery rotating in the direction opposed to the direction of movement of the platecleans all the loosened particles and Water vfrom the plate and dries the latter. The plate While still in a hot condition, passes over the tank after leaving the brush 60 under the fender 82 which holds the heat rising from the tank in close proximity to the hot plate, thus effecting-drying of the plate before it is discharged onto the delivery table 3.

It is apparent that the second scrubbing is 1. The method of cleaning electrotype plates coated with Wax which consists in subjecting the plate, While it is in substantially the hot condition, it is received from the casting pan, to a Wax cutting liquid, scrubbing the plate While it is hot and after it has een supplied with the wax cutting liquid, flushing the plate to remove the wax and the Wax cutting liquid without materially reducing the temperature thereof, subjecting it to a scrubbing action after it has been flushed, and retaining the plate in a heated condition until it is dry. l

2. The method of cleaning electrotype plates coated With Wax, which consists in subjecting the plate, While it is in substantially the hot condition it is received from the cast ing pan, to a Wax cutting liquid, combining such wax cutting liquid with a ushing water after the Wax cutting liquid has been utilized for cutting the Wax on the heated plate, conveying the heated plate after it has been treated by the wax cutting liquid to a scrubbing point and through a heated area, scrubbmg the plate While hot at this point, conveying the plate through a heated area from the scrubbing point to a tlushingpoint, heatthe hot condition it is received from the casting pan to a wax cutting liquid, combining such Wax cutting liquid with a flushing Water after the wax cutting liquid has been utilized .for cutting the Wax on the heated plate, heat- 1 ng such flushing water with the wax cutting l1qu1d therein, conveying the heated plate after it has been treated by the Wax cutting liquid to a scrubbing point and through a heated area, scrubbing the plate while in a hot condition at this scrubbing point, conveying the plate through a heated area from the scrubbing point to a flushing point, flushing the plate with the heated flushing solution, and retaining the plate in a heated area after such flushing until the plate is 4. A method of cleaning electrotype lates coated with wax'which consists in su jecting a plate to a number. of cleaning steps, while the plate is in substantially the hot condition itis received from the casting pan, retaining the heat of the plate during such cleaning-ste s, employing in one of the cleaning steps a ushing operation which does not substantially,1 cool the plate, and permitting the platejto dry under the action of the heat remaining in the plate after the cleanlng steps. v

5. The method of cleaningelectrotype plates coated with Wax which consists in subljecting the plate, While it is in substantially the hot condition it is received from the casting pan to kerosene, scrubbing the plate while it is hot and after it has been supplied with kerosene, flushing the plate with a hot aqueous solutionrto remove the wax and the kerosene without materially reducing the temperature thereof, subjecting it to a scrubbing action after ithas been flushed, and retaining the plate in a heated condition until it is dry.

6. The method .of cleaning electrotype plates coated with Wax which consists in subjecting the'plate while it is in substantially the hot condition it is received from the casting pan, to kerosene, combining such kerosene with a flushing Water after the kerosene has been utilized for cutting the wax onthe heated plate, conveying the heated plate after it has been treatedby the kerosene to a scrubbing point and through a heated area, scrubbing the plate while hot at this point,

conveying the plate through a heated area from the scrubbing point to a liushing point, heating the iushing Water. with the kerosene therein, flushing the heated plate with said heated flushing solution, conveying the plate through a heated area to a second scrubbing point, and scrubbing the plate, flushing the plate and drying it thereafter.

7. The method of cleaning electroty e plates coated with Wax which consists in su jecting the plate while it is in substantially the hot condition it is received from the casting-panto kerosene, combining such kerosene with a ushing water after the kerosene has been utilized for cutting the wax on the heated plate, heating such iushing water ywith kerosene therein, conveying the kheated Vplate after it has been treated by the wax cutting liquid -to a scrubbin point and through a heated area, scrubbing the plate While in a hot condition -at this scrubbing point, conveying the plate through a heated 'area from the scrubbing point to a flushing point, llushing the plate witha the heated ushing solution, and retaining the plate in ya heated area Aai'ter such flushing until the plate is dry. e

WILLIAM RENDELL LAKEMAN. 

